The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina has just released an excellent podcast on natural-law thinking featuring an interview conducted by Doug Baker with constitutional law scholar Robby George and systematician Greg Thornbury. It is called “Morality: Past its Prime”, and it will prove profitable to the listener.
For those who are new to this discussion of natural-law theory, I would highly commend this podcast. I was able to sit in on it and found it very helpful. Pastors and thinking Christians will benefit from the careful but clear presentation of the issues provided by George and Thornbury, each representing different traditions and modes of thought.
Issues considered in this podcast:
- Morality – what is it?; the Pre-liberal tradition – What it is and what has become of it?; Legislating morality – can it be done?
- Moral law and just law; The meaning of justice; The making of just law – how is it done?; First Principles and “the good”; What is good?”
- Jesus, the Rich Young Ruler and the good; The Wolfenden Report of 1957 and laws against homosexuality; the sexual revolution; Private behavior and public morality; “victimless” crimes and justice.
- California’s Proposition 8; Marriage – victim of public opinion?; Personal autonomy and the culture of “my body – my choice”; Mario Cuomo and the legality of abortion; morality, slavery, and abortion.
- Carl F.H. Henry – natural law and divine revelation; Do judges interpret or create law?; Judicial boundaries – what are they and how do you know?
- The separation of church and state; the role of the church in the public square; the path forward in a culture of death.
